


The Coffee Game

by Kellygirl



Category: NCIS
Genre: Mind Games, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-09-22
Updated: 2011-09-22
Packaged: 2017-10-23 22:48:58
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,741
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/255935
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kellygirl/pseuds/Kellygirl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tim's never thought about the coffee Gibbs brings him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Coffee Game

**Author's Note:**

> Takes place in Season 2. No spoilers.

Tim picked up his coffee cup and took a big gulp. He sighed in satisfaction. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Tony look at him and shake his head. Gibbs was in some meeting and Ziva was on special assignment with another team for the next week. The younger agent continued to furiously type as Tony got up and drifted closer to his desk. He rolled his eyes when Tony sat down on his desk.

“What Tony?” The bullpen was quiet but Tony leaned down to whisper,

“You ever wonder why Gibbs brings you coffee?”

Tim stopped typing and looked at Tony. The expression on his face was serious, not his usual 'let's play with the probie' face. He took another sip of his coffee.

“Um, he knows I like it? That I appreciate it?”

Tony patted his shoulder. “Poor, poor probie. That coffee is more expensive than you could imagine.”

He sighed and resisted the urge to roll his eyes again. Tony must be really bored.

“What? Does he get some ultra expensive version or something? Maybe you’re just mad he doesn’t bring you coffee.”

Feeling smug, Tim took another sip. Tony crossed his arms. He didn’t look at Tim but at something behind the younger man’s head.

“With me, it used to be candy bars. He’d breeze by my desk and drop one off and never mention it.” He leaned in closer and met Tim’s eyes. “He’s softening you up, probie. Let me tell you how it’s going to go. He’s going to continue to bring you coffee. Not everyday, because that would be suspicious. Just 2 or 3 times a week. Then one night we’ll all be working late. He’ll send Ziva home, then me. It’ll just be you two. He’ll invite you out for a drink. Maybe more than one.” Tony scooted closer and McGee leaned forward in his chair as Tony continued.

“Then he’ll tell you he wants to show you the work he’s done on his boat. By this time you’re a little drunk so you figure, why not? He gets you down to the basement and maybe he gives you a little more liquor, maybe not. Next thing you know, he’s kissing you, helping you out of your clothes, and bending you over that scarred table his boat is resting on. It never occurs to you to say no, I mean he’s Gibbs, right? Afterwards he’ll let you sleep it off in his guestroom and then call you a cab in the morning. He won’t ever mention it and if you do, he’ll just look at you like you’re insane.”

Tony sat back, a mean smile on his face. He tapped the lid of Tim’s cup. “You think about that while you sip your delicious coffee.”

Tim knew his eyes were wide with shock and his mouth was hanging open. He watched Tony stroll back to his desk and sit down like he hadn’t just told the biggest lie ever. He chuckled.

“That’s a big stretch, Tony. Why would I ever believe that? That’s crazy. No way anything like that is going to happen or ever happened.” When Tony didn’t smile and laugh, Tim frowned. He got up and went over to Tony’s desk. He scratched his head and decided to be blunt.

“Did that really happen? I-I mean did that happen to you? With Gibbs? Come on, Tony. You have to admit that’s pretty far fetched. No way is Gibbs somehow using coffee to start some seduction thing with me.” Sex and Gibbs had never even entered Tim’s head. Any moment now, Tony was going to laugh and point at him. Tony only shook his head.

“Forget I said anything, McGee. If he ever invites you out for a drink, just say no.”

Tim didn’t have a chance to ask anything else. Gibbs came down the steps from the director’s office and barked at Tony before herding both of them out the office.

Over the next week, Tim tried to covertly observe Gibbs and place him in the situation Tony had talked about. He’d considered asking Abby about it, but didn’t want her looking at him in pity for falling for one of Tony’s practical jokes or worse, summoning Gibbs. Tony had to be joking. He was just jealous that Gibbs brought him coffee. He bought Abby those Caff-pow’s all the time. It was the same thing.

The next night, he had a nightmare filled with blurry images of a dusty basement and a Gibbs with insistent hands.

It was another Monday when Gibbs plopped a coffee cup down on his desk and kept walking. Tim stared at the cup like it was poison. He looked briefly at Tony but he was on the phone. Tim kept typing and ignored the enticing aroma that drifted up from the cup.

“Something wrong with that coffee, McGee?” Gibbs voice was mild but Tim could hear the suspicion underneath the question, or maybe Tony’s little game was making him paranoid.

“No, no, it’s um, fine. I’m just trying to cut back. Thank you though.” Gibbs only stared at him for a minute. He looked at Tony, then back to Tim. The shrug he gave was casual but Tim knew it was more to it. He took a chance and looked over at Tony. He expected some kind of nod or thumbs up, even a laugh, as Tony finally confessed how he’d had Tim nervous for an entire week. Tony wasn’t looking at him. He was looking at the coffee cup, his face a mixture of sadness and longing. For the first time, Tim thought Tony’s story might have a ring of truth to it.

Six hours later, Tim sighed and stretched. He’d been at the computer for too long. He looked around and realized it was past time for him to clock out. He’d vaguely heard Gibbs tell Ziva to go home awhile back. Tony was filling out reports at his desk. He barely looked up when Gibbs barked at him.

“DiNozzo, go see if Ducky is done.” Tony nodded and headed for the morgue. Tim started typing again and ignored the way the hair stood up on the back of his neck. He knew Gibbs was staring at him, probably trying to figure out why his probie had gone back to being so nervous around him in the past two weeks. The phone on Gibbs desk rang. He picked it up and Tim listened to his end of the conversation.

“Since Ducky’s gone you can go home, DiNozzo.” Gibbs slammed down the phone and for a brief moment Tim and Gibbs eyes met. Tim looked down and hurriedly tried to remember what he’d been working on. He saved his work and wondered if he could just get up and go home. Before he could decide on what to do, Gibbs was standing up and putting his gun away.

“Come on, McGee. You can finish that tomorrow.”

Tim shut down his computer and grabbed his coat. He was relaxing, already imagining himself at home, when he noticed Gibbs standing in front of his desk.

“You want to go get a drink?”

Tim opened his mouth and then closed it. His breath caught in his throat and he started to cough. The hand that pounded him on the back just made him cough harder, until red faced and gasping for air, he got it under control. He let Gibbs lead him to the elevator. They didn’t talk until Tim said,

“I um have a lot of stuff to do tonight. How about I take a rain check on that drink?” He never expected Gibbs to look him up and down like a suspect.

“What type of ‘stuff?’” He sounded grumpy and annoyed but not really angry.

Tim was nothing if not a quick thinker.

“Stuff like laundry and bills and cleaning up my place before it’s declared an condemned site.”

Gibbs hummed in agreement and Tim let out a relieved sigh. He thought that would be the end of it, until Gibbs punched a button and brought the elevator to a halt. He backed away as Gibbs turned towards him and crossed his arms. He appeared to have all the time in the world.

“Tony been messing with you more than usual, McGee? You seem a little off. Anything you care to discuss?”

Tim shook his head and opened his mouth to verbally reinforce his actions. What he ended up saying was,

“Tony told me some crazy story about why you really brought me coffee. He said you used to bring him candy bars.” He swallowed the rest down. Oh god, he hadn’t meant to say that much. There was something scary in Gibbs eyes.

“Did he tell you I’d ask you out for drinks and then over to my place?”

Tim nodded in shock. It was a joke! If Gibbs knew about it…it had to be. He was going to strangle Tony. He felt his face turning red.

“He did say that. I can’t believe I fell for his joke. I knew it, but he acted so serious!”

Gibbs nodded his head. There was a brief half smile on his face, the same kind he used on Abby.

“Tony likes to play games. He likes messing with people’s heads.”

Tim laughed, but something still niggled at the back of his mind. He had to ask so he blurted it out.

“So you never invited Tony over to look at your boat?”

The smile on Gibbs face disappeared. His eyes turned cold and he punched the button that had the elevator moving.

“Don’t worry about DiNozzo, McGee. I’ll have a little talk with him. You go on home and get all that ‘stuff’ done.”

Tim nodded and when the doors opened he walked quickly to his car. He glanced back once to see if Gibbs was at his car yet. His boss was frowning until he saw Tim watching him. He winked at him and smirked as he got in his car. Tim blinked. He realized that Gibbs never answered his question about Tony. He’d just answered with something else. He had a feeling Tony was about to get a visit. For a split second he thought about calling Tony and warning him, but then decided against it. Tony liked games. So did Gibbs. He wasn’t about to get between them.

The End.


End file.
